Final answer:
Existentialism emphasizes the freedom of individuals to make their own choices and decisions, while also recognizing the responsibility and consequences that come with that freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
In existentialist thought, individuals are completely free to make their own choices and decisions, but they also face the consequences of those choices.
Existentialists argue that humans have free will and the ability to create their own meaning and purpose in life. This philosophy emphasizes personal responsibility and the importance of individual agency.
For example, existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre believed that people are condemned to be free, meaning that they have the freedom to create themselves and shape their own lives, but they also bear the burden of responsibility for their choices.
Overall, existentialism recognizes the freedom that individuals possess, but it also acknowledges the weight of that freedom and the potential anxiety and existential angst that can arise from it.